A Reflection
by Hrunting Leviathan
Summary: Shirou Emiya is on his deathbed. A reflection about the past and a wish for the future. I'm not good with titles or summaries. Enjoy! [Edited] Hiya! I've changed it slightly to include Saber's perspective as well. May do the other characters if I get a flash of inspiration. Enjoy! Daemon
1. Shirou Emiya

Decades have passed since that day.

When the sun rose, breaking the darkness.

When she disappeared into the light, into her long slumber.

When I stood there, a smile on my face, but sadness in my heart.

It had been so long since then.

I had wandered the world, fulfilling my promise to the girl.

To Saber.

—-

It is true. Time is cruel.

I had forgotten her face.

Her voice.

Her smile.

All those things, those precious things, had faded with the years.

And yet, one thing never left me.

That feeling in my chest.

The one thing that drove me forward.

No matter what hardship I faced, I continued walking.

All for that feeling.

I could feel it.

Crying to me, pushing me forward.

A single hope.

—

I had comrades on my journey.

Rin. llya. Gavin. Samael. Daemon. Raphael.

Some went on before me.

Others decided to walk their own paths.

Of my six companions, only one remained to see me off.

The oldest of them all, who was there from the beginning.

And was there for the end.

Her voice is soft. Far softer then the sharp tongue I remembered from our first meeting.

She comforts me, reminding me of our many adventures together, of the friends we had and the battles we had fought.

And finally, she spoke about Saber.

Through her words, I remembered.

—

Her voice. Harsh but kind.

Her eyes. Green as the leaves themselves.

Her hair. Gold, like the sword I see in my dreams.

And her name.

Arturia Pendragon. The Ruler of Camelot.

But to me, she will always be Saber.

—-

Strength is leaving me now.

My surroundings are blurring.

My ally, tears visible on her face, is calling for someone.

I raise my hand and wipe her tears.

She falls silent, understanding my intent.

"Thank you."

My words reach her ears. Her tears begin anew.

I smile and cradle her cheek with my hand.

She smiles back, a sad smile full of bittersweet emotions.

"Say hello for me."

I nod, a wordless promise.

My breathing slows.

My vision dims, like a light slowly breaking down.

Her face, sad but strong, is the last thing I see.

And I finally go to sleep.

—

The sunlight is bright.

Bright enough to wake me from my slumber.

Above me, the blue sky seems to extend endlessly.

White clouds dot the sky.

I sit up, looking around me.

A field of gold stretches as far as I can see.

I'd never been here before.

And yet, it feels nostalgic.

Like my soul knew this place.

I stand up.

The golden wheat reaches to my waist.

I look around.

And behind me, I find it.

A lone figure, standing amongst the gold.

The source of my yearning.

My hope.

—-

I begin to walk.

With each step, I feel myself grow lighter.

The weight of the decades is fading.

As I move closer, her features become clear.

A white dress.

Golden hair.

Green eyes.

And a serene smile.

I stop before her, not daring to touch her.

For I fear that if I do, this dream will end.

Instead, I say the words.

The words that I have wanted to say ever since that day.

"I'm back, Saber."

The girl looks at me, the smile on her face growing.

Decades have passed.

And yet nothing has changed.

Tears appear in the corners of her eyes as she replies with what I had always wanted to hear.

"Yes—Welcome back, Shirou."

—

And there my journey ends.

The journey that had taken a lifetime to complete.

I had known the destination, but not the path.

I had known the goal, but not the method.

I had known the distance, but not the cost.

And yet, despite this, I knew that it would happen.

That I would find her again.

My adventure has ended, but a new one has begun.

One that would go on forever.

But with her by my side.

I love you.

Saber.

—-

_To the boy who searched his entire life._

_And to the girl who never stopped waiting._

_There was no doubt that you would meet again._

_It was only a matter of trying._

_And having the courage never to submit or yield. _

_For while your bodies were mortal._

_Your souls are eternal._

_You can forget each others faces. _

_You can forget each others names._

_But you can never forget their love._

_Fate is a fickle thing. Like the moon, it changes. _

_Once you accept that, anything can be done._

_I wish you the best, my heroes. _

_May your rest in Avalon be peaceful._

_You have deserved it._

—-

**Huh. Now why did I write this? I don't know. Maybe I just felt like doing a tribute or something.**

**Or maybe it was because I spent nearly six hours last night trying to get the novel to work on my Mac. (Ultimately failed, but whatever. I've learnt that using Wine/Winebottler/Wineskin/Cross-over is the biggest pain in the arse ever. I'm buying Parallel.)**

**Or maybe because the train to London is really boring. **

**Anyways, this is my little dedication to Fate/Stay Night. And yes, I did insert my name in there. I'm egotistical like that.**

**Tell me what you think. I enjoyed writing this. **

**Daemon**

**PS. If enough people want me to, I'll write something similar from Saber's point of view. (I might just write one anyways, just because I want to. And because this train journey is seriously boring.)**


	2. Saber

"Shirou— I love you."

Those were my last words to him.

I saw the happiness in his eyes.

I saw the sun blind him.

And then I left him.

Do I regret it?

No I don't. Not at all.

Because I knew we'd meet again.

—-

The soft wind caresses my skin, a cool blanket against the pain.

The leaves shade me, making my surroundings glow green.

The bark of the tree fits my back perfectly, a natural throne for the dying king.

"A dream." I mutter to myself. "A beautiful dream."

Bedivere has left to return my blade to the Lake, leaving me to await his return.

"_I once dreamed I was a butterfly, but was I dreaming that I was a butterfly, or was the butterfly dreaming that it was I?" _I ask myself, remembering the story Merlin had once told me.

Was I a King, dreaming about a life as a girl?

Or was I a girl, dreaming about a life as a King?

"How odd, for me to care so much about a dream."

I lied to myself, looking at the sky.

"Though…I hope I can return to that dream."

To the boy who had held my hand.

To the one who I loved.

—-

Upon Bedivere's return, I am fading.

My breathing is softer.

My mind is hazy, slipping away with every moment.

Bedivere tells me about the Lady of the Lake, and how she took my sword.

I smile and congratulate him, assuring him that he had completed his duty as a Knight.

The moment those words leave my mouth, I feel it.

The end has arrived.

"—I am sorry Bedivere. This sleep will be…a…long—"

The darkness takes me then, bringing a feeling of peace.

A feeling that I had felt only once before.

In that beautiful dream.

—-

The Knight watches his King slip away.

And yet he does not cry.

For he knows.

Knows that his King has finally found peace.

Peace that should he have survived, would have been unobtainable.

"Rest, my liege."

The Knight murmurs a prayer, thanking that person.

That person who put his King at ease.

—

The golden field of wheat.

I open my eyes.

I know this place.

Merlin spoke of it once.

The resting place of the Faeries.

A place untouched by time and space.

A world of peace within a universe of war.

Avalon.

I know the moment I arrive, that it is here I shall meet him.

One day.

—-

Time has no meaning here.

At the beginning, I tried to count.

After perhaps a dozen years, I could no longer remember how long it had been.

But it matters not.

For I will wait.

Whether it will be minutes or hours. Days or months. Years or centuries.

Even until the end of time itself.

I will wait.

For I know he will come.

—

Do I wonder what his life was like after I left?

Yes. Many times.

I thought about the hardships he must have faced. The foes he would have fought. The pain he felt.

All without me by his side.

And all because of me.

But do I regret my choice?

No.

I don't.

For this is the road he walks. The perilous, merciless road of a hero.

I never pointed him towards this path.

He chose it himself.

He knew the consequences.

The burden he would have to take.

The suffering he would have to bare.

The things he would have to sacrifice.

And he still decided to walk this road.

I will never question his actions.

Because if I do, I will never see him again.

And for me, that is a fate worse then death.

—

The nights here are beautiful.

One cannot simply have just the day.

One must also have the night.

The darkness is comforting.

It allows one to think.

To reflect.

To remember.

I lose myself in the memories.

Of those precious days we spent together.

The food we shared.

The time we spent.

And the words we spoke.

I miss him.

The wait is unbearable.

But I shall bare it for him.

For Shirou.

—

And then it happened.

I felt a shift.

A tiny shift, so small it was barely noticeable.

But then, I knew that it had arrived.

The moment I craved and yearned for.

Joy burst through my heart as I saw him.

His back was to me, no doubt looking around.

Despite the ages, it felt as if I had only seen him yesterday.

I see him turn around, his eyes meeting mine.

He begins to walk towards me.

I had waited forever.

I could wait a bit more.

—

"I'm back Saber."

Those three words are enough.

To confirm that it was truly real.

That I had not been dreaming.

That I had truly met the man known as Shirou Emiya all those years ago.

That I had truly fought alongside.

That I had truly loved him.

The feelings in my chest were bursting.

I wanted to cry.

I wanted to laugh.

I wanted to hug him, to kiss him.

But instead, I speak.

A single sentence.

But that sentence is enough.

To convey all the feelings in my heart.

"Yes—welcome back, Shirou."

—

_Distance is nothing._

_Time is meaningless._

_The girl who waited._

_The boy who searched._

_The continuation of their dream was assured._

_For while one's body may fade._

_And their existence disappear from the minds of men. _

_Dreams will never disappear. _

_For dreams are greater then anything._

_Everyone has a dream._

_To be a superhero._

_A magician._

_A warrior._

_A ruler._

_It is through such dreams that we find the will to keep going._

_To walk without looking back._

_To take that dream, that Hope._

_And eventually shape reality in its image._

_The girl who was a King._

_And the boy who was a Hero._

_They pursued their dreams with relish._

_Sacrificing everything for that single hope._

_Was it not fated for their dreams, so closely entwined, to come true?_

_I believe so._

_So rest well, heroes._

_You have done well._

—-

**Ahahahaha~ Another one is up! (This is pretty fun actually…)**

**I've edited the first one a bit, will do a bit more later.**

**Review and fave if you enjoyed it! **

**Daemon**


	3. Archer EMIYA

_I am the bone of my sword._

I once believed I was a Hero.

A "Hero of Justice", who protected the world.

But was I really one?

For every one hundred I saved, there were a million I didn't.

What use is saving a cup of water if you lose a sea?

—-

_Steel is my body and fire is my blood._

My power sowed fear and hatred amongst the people.

Even among those who I saved.

I did not care.

Maybe my effort was for naught.

Maybe I would be hated by the world.

But my promise to her outweighs any pain.

For her, I will fight.

For her, I will suffer.

And for her, I will die.

I am Shirou Emiya.

The one who aspired to be a Hero of Justice.

But did I become one, in the end?

Did I fulfil my promise?

—-

_I have created over a thousand blades._

I do not fear death.

But I fear a death without meaning.

On the day I died, I prayed.

Prayed not to God, who had never helped me before.

But to the World herself.

I offered myself for the lives of others.

When the World took me, I did not grieve, nor did I hesitate.

To me, giving up my life for others was the greatest act I could do.

Even if I would never be able to rest.

—-

_Unknown to Death, Nor known to Life._

Fate is cruel.

Horribly cruel.

I no longer fought to save.

I fought to avenge.

Instead of saving those from death, I'd kill those who already sinned.

A horrible life, full of guilt and regret.

Why could I not save them?

Why must I avenge them instead?

Many times, I wished I could die.

And yet, I could not.

The years of training had payed off.

I was unstoppable, a monster capable of slaying even the strongest beast.

Many times, I placed my sword to my throat, intending to end it all.

And yet, I couldn't.

While many died at my hand, even more were saved.

Could I truly kill myself and condemn those who I may save to death?

No. I can't.

No matter how bloody my hands got, no matter how much I cursed the World and my very existence

I would continue to fight.

For those who could not save themselves.

For that is the duty of a hero.

—

_Have withstood pain to create many weapons._

The Grail Wars.

As a representative of the World, I knew of it.

A battle royale for the right to wish for anything.

The ultimate war for the ultimate prize.

My summoner was a young girl.

A girl with a very sharp tongue.

A girl I knew from long ago.

When I saw her, I was shocked.

She was exactly how I remembered her to be.

Long brown hair tied into twin tails.

A red outfit and skirt.

And the same serious expression, no doubt thinking up some devious plan.

Rin Tohsaka.

My master.

—

_Yet, those hands will never hold anything._

The battle is hard.

My swords break again and again.

Caster.

Lancer.

Assassin.

Berserker.

And Saber.

Through it all, I stood beside her.

Fought beside her.

And finally, died beside her.

Yet, this time I was content.

I had met myself, my idealistic self from long ago.

I had tested his resolve, his merit, against my own.

Blade against blade.

Sword against sword.

Metal against metal.

I, who had lived longer, trained longer and was superior in every way, gave my all against him.

And I lost.

The me from before was a man unlike any other.

Even as I broke his swords, destroyed his body, his spirit refused to yield.

Despite broken bones, torn muscles and the Reaper's own scythe at his throat, he still stood up with a sword in his hand.

He was a hero.

The type I aspired to be.

A hero far greater then what I had been.

A true "Hero of Justice".

—

_So as I pray, unlimited blade works._

I'm fading.

I know that when I awaken, I will once again fight for the World.

And yet, I am not unhappy.

The time I spent with them…was time well spent.

For it helped me realise.

That even if I failed.

Others will succeed.

That boy's eyes…were filled with resolve.

A resolve that would neither bend or break.

They were the eyes of a hero.

And with that, I will rest.

Until the World needs me once more.

—

_The Dark Hero of Justice, who wanders a path parallel to that of Shirou Emiya. _

_Perhaps he was never meant to walk in the Light. _

_He may have once cursed his role._

_But now sees the truth._

_The World is not Cruel._

_It is fair. _

_The Dark Hero wished to save the world._

_And the World gave him the ability to._

_Someone must always take the role of the Avenger._

_The Hero who takes the sins of others upon his shoulders._

_And does so willingly. _

_Never forget the heroes._

_Those who walk in the light._

_And those who run in the dark._

* * *

**Sorry for the late update! Been busy with school stuff.**

**Review and fave if you enjoyed it! **

**Daemon**


End file.
